Ride or Die

by Marie, Kay

  "Are y'all okay?" Wren looks between the three of us.

  "I'm good." I shrug. Her face falls.

  "Get inside so I can get your arm cleaned," she orders, making me laugh. If it wasn't her ordering me around, it would be Minx. They can both be so bossy when the need arises. I walk in and sit at the bar.

  "Hey, Tink. Let me get a shot of Jameson, please," I ask.

  "And the first aid kit," Wren adds. Tink gives her a questioning look and Wren points to my arm. Tink's eyes go wide.

  "Oh shit! What happened to you," she asks.

  "Cali, Emma, and I were shot at when we were leaving the bakery," I explain.

  "Oh my god! Are they alright? Where are they," she questions and hands Wren the first aid box.

  "We're fine," Emma says as they walk in. "Shade got the worst of it."

  Bull calls for Church earlier since certain events have occurred.

  Once everyone is situated, Bull talks. "Tech has located where these cartel fucks are staying. There are only six of them in town. The rest we're guessing stayed behind for whatever reason. We'll come up with a solid plan, and strike this weekend," Bull explains.

  "I don't want Cali and Emma going back to the bakery until then," I voice my opinion.

  "That's not gonna happen. I've already spoken with Orlov." He looks right at me. "They will ride in one of the bodyguards' bulletproof SUVs."

  We brainstorm our plan of attack. Two hours later, we have everything planned out. Now, all we do is wait.

  33

  Shade

  Friday rolls around and all the brothers are ready to go after the cartel fuckers. Ranger, Buzz, and the prospects are staying at the clubhouse with all the women and families still on lockdown. We'll be heading out after it gets dark out. Before we're about to head outside to load our SUVs up, Wren finds me.

  "Shade, I understand I don't know everything about what y'all are doing tonight. I want you to be careful. I need my big brother." Worry laces her voice.

  "Everything will be okay, sis. I promise," I tell her. She throws her arms around me, squeezing me in a hug. When she lets go, she instantly walks away like nothing ever happened. Cali, Minx, and the girls are hanging out in Buster's room. I pop my head in before I leave.

  "Just wanted to let y'all know we were headed out," I tell them. "If you need anything, tell the prospects. They’ll do whatever you need them to within reason."

  "Be safe," Cali replies.

  "I'll do my best." I walk out front to where the SUVs are parked.

  "Still waitin' on Hollywood and Sketch to get out here then we can go," Bull says as I walk up to the group of brothers. Ten minutes later, we're loading up in the SUVs and we're headed out. There's fifteen of us, so we're taking three SUVs. It's a bit of a tight fit, but it's the easiest way. The place these fuckers are staying is about thirty minutes out. The good thing is, the building is pretty secluded. Which makes it better for our plan. We park our vehicles a couple of blocks away, hidden by some abandoned buildings. Before we walk toward their building, we go over our plan one more time.

  "Alright, Ratchet and Rascal, you two will go to the front of the building. Thor and Saint, you'll go to the back. When y'all get our signal, you'll toss the grenades in. Team two, you'll go around back and take your positions. Team one will take there's around the front," Trigger repeats our plan. We've gone over the plan every day this week. It's been drilled into our heads over and over again. "Tech will cut the power and give the okay to go. We got intel there's only six of them in there, but be prepared for more. You can never be too sure. Make sure your walkie talkies are on and your earwig is in. Let's do this and get back to the clubhouse."

  We all take our positions and wait for our signal. A couple of minutes go by and the lights around the building go out.

  "Go, go, go," Tech shouts in our ears. I watch as Ratchet and Rascal each throw two grenades and take off running toward us.

  BOOM! BOOM!

  The grenades all go off. Gunner leads half of us into the building. We pan out checking for any survivors. A few shots go off behind me. I turn around and there's a dead cartel member on the stairs.

  "I count four dead in here," Gunner calls out. Shots ring out at the back of the building and we take off toward where it came from. Raze is holding Saint up, while Diesel has his gun trained on one of the cartel members and there are three others dead on the floor. Two we didn't plan for.

  "Where's he shot," Thor asks about Saint.

  "In the side, it was straight through though," Raze tells him. Gunner and Ratchet come walking in.

  "What's the cartel's issue with the Savage Menaces?" Ratchet asks with his foot hovering over a gunshot wound on the guy's leg. The guy spits at him and Ratchet drops his foot onto the wound. His scream rings out. "Tell me!"

  "You killed our informant. You killed the Ghost. Jefe wants your club to pay," the man cries out.

  "You killed one of our men over that rat bastard Ghost?" Ratchet shouts. The guy nods his head and Ratchet shoots him in his head.

  "Building is clear. Let's light it up and get the fuck out of here," Gunner says. Trigger and Thor hang back to get the building set on fire while the rest of us go back to the SUVs. Rachet tells Bull everything that happened and what the cartel member said.

  "And we just killed eight more of their men. This isn't the end of this shit." Bull sighs. "It's only the beginning."

  * * *

  Almost a week has passed since we took out those eight cartel members and there hasn't been any retaliation. Bull is convinced they're waiting for us to let our guard down and forget about them before they come after us again. Today is Thanksgiving, and since everyone has been on lockdown, we're having a huge clubhouse feast. All the women have been working their asses off all morning trying to prep everything for all of us.

  When we sit to eat, we take a moment of silence for Buster. A couple of tears fall down Cali's face. Emma and Minx are on either side of her while I sit across from her. I'm glad she's continued to stay. She has so much support here.

  About halfway through eating, my phone buzzes. Glancing at the screen, it's Sammi, a girl I've slept with a couple of times who happens to be a nurse. I hit ignore. A minute later, it buzzes again. I excuse myself from the table and walk down the hall to my room as I answer.

  "Hello?"

  "Shade, I'm sorry to bother you on Thanksgiving," she says. "But there's something you need to know."

  34

  Cali

  Shade comes back into the room after taking a phone call and goes straight to Bull. I tense as he whispers something to Bull and they both leave the room. I keep eating but I tune out the conversations around me.

  "Cali." Emma nudges me. "Are you alright?"

  "Huh? Yeah, I'm fine." I smile at her.

  "You did a great job with the turkey," Minx tells me.

  "Thank you. It's honestly super easy to cook one," I laugh out. Bull comes back out and walks straight to me.

  "Can I steal you for a minute," he asks. I nod, stand, and walk with him to his office. Shade is sitting on the couch with his head in his hands.

  "What's going on," I ask.

  "Come sit," Shade says, patting the spot on the couch next to him.

  "Before we tell you this, I need you to stay calm. No matter what," Bull tells me. Getting anxious, I clench my fists, digging my nails into my palms.

  "Okay," I draw out. Bull nods his head at Shade.

  "I got a phone call from a friend, who happens to be a nurse," Shade says. "She got a new job at a hospital in Killeen."

  "What does this have to do with anything," I question, glancing between Bull and Shade.

  "There's a John Doe there who looks identical to Buster. He's in a coma and from what she said, he has been since he arrived at the hospital," Shade tells me.

  "H-How can you be sure?" Tears spill down my face.

  "She sent me a picture. He looks a little rough, but I want to go there and find out if it's a
ctually him," he explains.

  "I'm going with you," I state.

  "Cali, there's a chance it might not even be him," Bull tells me.

  "I don't care. I'm going. I need to see for myself," I say. Shade shrugs his shoulders.

  "She might as well come with," Shade says to Bull. Bull sighs.

  "Okay, but," Bull says, "take Rascal and Buzz with you. They can follow on their bikes."

  "Sounds good to me," Shade responds.

  "I'll pack the four of us some food to take with us in case it is him. I'm not leaving him," I tell them.

  "Be prepared for it to not be him. I don't want you getting your hopes up," Bull says.

  "I get that, but I have to have faith it is him. He is without a doubt my soulmate. I won't believe it's not him until I see him for myself," I say with as much confidence as I can. Truth is, if it's not actually him, it will shatter my world all over again. I guess we'll find out soon.

  "I'll go tell Rascal and Buzz to be ready in twenty," Bull says and walks out of his office.

  "Why don't you go get a backpack with some clothes," Shade suggests. "If it's him, we'll stay the night there."

  I walk over to Buster's room, grab a backpack and pack some things. I pack an outfit for Ryan, in case it's him and he needs clothes. In the bathroom, I grab my brush, toothbrush, and toothpaste. When I'm done, I head back out to the main room. Shade, Rascal, and Buzz are all waiting for me by the bar. Minx runs up to me as soon as she sees me.

  "If it's him, give him a big hug for me, please." She hands me a couple of bags of Thanksgiving dinner leftovers.

  "I will," I tell her. She wraps her arms around me and squeezes me.

  "Please text me if you need anything at all," she adds.

  I walk over to the guys and we head outside. Shade puts all four of our bags in the trunk of his car while I climb in the front seat, placing the bags of food in the back. Rascal and Buzz climb on their bikes and turn them on, the engines roaring to life.

  The closer we get to Killeen, the more nervous I get. It takes us over an hour to get there with the way Shade is driving. He parks the car and we get out. I stare at the hospital while Shade texts his friend to tell her we're here. Rascal and Buzz walk up behind us.

  "Let's go. Sammi is going to meet us in the lobby in five minutes," Shade tells us. I'm frozen in my spot, heart racing a million miles an hour. Shade glances over his shoulder and stops. I'm not following him. He says something to Rascal and walks back to me.

  "You're not backing out on me now, are you?" he teases me. My eyes go from the hospital to him.

  "What if it's not him?" I stutter out.

  "We'll cross that bridge if and when we get to it," he tells me. "For now, let's get in there and see what we're working with."

  I nod my head and together we walk toward the hospital. Walking through the doors, Rascal and Buzz are standing there talking to a woman in scrubs.

  "Sammi, this is Cali, Buster's Ol' Lady," he introduces us as soon as we walk over to her.

  "I'm sorry we have to meet under these circumstances," Sammi says.

  "Yeah, me too."

  "Come with me. I'll take you right to him," she says.

  Shade follows Sammi, while I follow him with Rascal and Buzz walking behind me. Sammi leads us to the ICU and stops at the waiting room.

  "Only two visitors are allowed in there at a time, so two of you will have to wait out here," she tells us. Rascal and Buzz instantly sit. Sammi nods her head in approval and continues through the doors. We stop at ICU room number seven.

  "This is him," Sammi says, and stands off to the side. "Take as much time as you need."

  I stare into the room, afraid to go in. Shade gently grabs my arm.

  "We go in together," he whispers. We walk into the room. I walk right up to the side of the bed. I gasp and my knees buckle. Shade is right behind me holding me up and tears are pouring down my face.

  35

  Shade

  Cali would have collapsed as soon as she saw him if I hadn't been standing right behind her. As soon as she's steady on her feet, she leans into the side of the bed, staring at his face.

  "It's him," she says through tears. "He's alive."

  "He is." I can't stop the smile stretching across my face. We may not be blood, but we're brothers regardless. Shit wasn't the same when we thought he was dead. None of the Riders were themselves, myself included. Cali runs her fingers down Buster's arm, stopping at his Savage Riders tattoo. I can only imagine how she's feeling right now. He might not be able to talk to us or interact with us right now, but he's alive.

  "They say people in comas can hear you when you talk to them," Sammi says from the doorway. "The doctor thinks having loved ones around and talking to him could help, so don't be afraid to talk to him."

  I move a chair behind Cali so she can sit. She scoots it as close to his bed as she can and sits on her knees.

  "It's okay to touch him, right," Cali asks, her cheeks turning pink.

  "Yes, you can," Sammi responds. Cali grabs Buster's hand and I walk over to Sammi to give her some space.

  "I've only been working here for a week, but as soon as I saw him and saw his tattoo, I knew it was him," she tells me. "When no one had been to visit, I knew something was wrong."

  "Thank you for calling me," I whisper to Sammi. "We've thought he was dead for the last three weeks."

  Cali is whispering to Buster and it makes me smile. I turn to Sammi.

  "I don't imagine we could crash here tonight, could we," I ask.

  "As much as I would love to let you, I can't." Sammi gives me a sorrowful expression.

  "That's alright. We'll stay as long as you'll let us, then we'll go crash at a hotel," I tell her. I shoot Rascal a text.

  To Rascal: It's him. We'll need to get a hotel for a couple of nights.

  From Rascal: On it.

  "Cali, I need to call Bull real quick," I tell her. "I'll be right back."

  "Okay," she calls back to me.

  I walk out of the room and down the hall a little way before calling him. He picks up on the second ring.

  "Talk to me," Bull says.

  "We're at the hospital. It's him," I tell him. He lets out a heavy sigh. "The doctors believe he'll make a full recovery, it's only a matter of time."

  "Do y'all need anything? Need anyone else to come up there," he questions.

  "No, we're good. They have him in an ICU room so we'll have to leave for the night. Rascal is trying to find a hotel for us for a couple of nights. We'll come back first thing in the morning," I explain to him.

  "Cali isn't gonna want to leave him," he says.

  "That’s for fucking sure," I tell him. "It's gonna be tough, but at least we're not sitting around thinking he's still dead."

  "True. Keep me updated. I'll get shit with the hospital sorted out," Bull states.

  "Sounds good." We hang up and I go back to Buster's room. Cali is laying her head on the bed, looking at Buster and is softly talking to him. I walk behind her.

  "We're gonna have to head out soon," I tell her.

  "Do we have to?” She gives me a pleading look and I nod. “Can we come back in the morning?"

  "First thing," I say and she gives me a small smile.

  "We gotta go, babe, but we'll be back in the morning," she says to Buster. She leans up and kisses him on the cheek. "I love you so much."

  "Keep fighting, brother." I pat his hand. A few tears run down Cali's cheeks as she walks away from him. "He's in good hands here."

  "He'll have a different nurse in the morning. Her name is Jenna. Y'all will like her," Sammi says to us with a smile as we come out of his room.

  "Thank you so much for reaching out to Shade," Cali tells her.

  "Of course," Sammi responds. Cali gives her a hug before we leave. As soon as we walk into the waiting room, Rascal and Buzz stand.

  "How is he," Buzz asks.

  "Not dead," I deadpan. Buzz shakes his head and I shrug. "He's as g
ood as he can be, being in a coma. We'll come back tomorrow and y'all can visit with him."

  We head over to the hotel Rascal found for us. He got us two rooms, both with two queen size beds. Cali is out as soon as her head hits the pillow. I text Raze so he can update Minx, then I crash.

  36

  Cali

  I'm up with the sun. I tried to sleep in longer, my body needing the rest, but I'm ready to get back up to the hospital. I don't want him waking up with no one around him. I gather my clothes for the day and go into the bathroom to shower. I close the door without turning the light on so I don't bother Shade.

  Turning the light on, I take a good look at myself in the mirror. The bags under my eyes have become much more pronounced in the past few weeks. I turn the shower on and hop in. I let the water hit my back for a couple of minutes. I bask in the serenity of this moment. I hurry through the rest of my shower. Once I'm dried off, I decide to blow dry my hair.

  "Couldn't sleep in either," Shade asks as I walk out of the bathroom.

  "No, too anxious to get back to the hospital," I tell him.

  "I understand that. Let me get a shower in. Then we can grab some breakfast and go," he responds. He messes with his phone, probably sending out a text to Rascal about our plans. While he's in the bathroom getting ready for the day, I check my phone. Two new texts, both from Minx.

  From Minx: Did y'all make it there okay? Is it him?

  The second one was sent after we got settled in the hotel room.

  From Minx: Shade messaged me. Don’t hesitate to tell me if you need anything or if there's anything any of us can do for you.

  Tears form in my eyes. I’ve only just met these people, but they treat me like they've known me our whole lives. They treat me like family and I'm so thankful for all of them.

  To Minx: I'm sorry I haven't responded. We're going back to the hospital after breakfast. I'll text you and give you an update later.